Bloodline
by RandyPandy
Summary: When Laslow came to Nohr, it was partly to assist Anankos with his friends and partly for selfish reasons. Or: The Xander and Olivia Support from Fire Emblem Warriors went just a little too far.


_Dipping my toes into writing for this fandom after seeing so many amazing fics. Fell into FE recently and I love it so much._

_**Inconsistencies with Warriors:** …I've played Fates (all three routes) and Awakening, but I wrote this before I actually played Warriors, so uh. The plot doesn't match. At all. In this particular case, Warriors happened after Xander, Leo, and their retainers join Corrin's party but before they entered Valla. I refuse to believe there wasn't some time to bond between those chapters._

_**Timeline:** All the Awakening characters from Warriors are from Lucina's timeline. Warriors did not happen in the timeline that Lucina and co went back to. Like I said, the plot doesn't match at all._

* * *

**Bloodline**

* * *

Prince Xander had called it "house arrest", and to anyone that questioned either of them, that was what they had called it.

But that was not the truth, and they both knew it. Xander had essentially grounded Laslow as if he had been a misbehaving child of his.

And to make matters worse, Laslow knew that he had the right to do that, even if Xander didn't know it himself. Selena's smirk and Odin's peals of laughter when the two of them had found out didn't help matters any.

So that was why the two of them were in Xander's Quarters in the Astral Plane, with Xander sitting at his desk studying some documents while Laslow sat against the wall. It was normally easy to get up and leave his quarters, but Laslow had a feeling that it wouldn't be pleasant for his overall health if he went and did that.

He was reveling when he had something to do, or when Corrin requested to Xander that Laslow go out and scout. Corrin was a master tactician in skill, to the point where Laslow admired them, but even they couldn't always keep Laslow occupied no matter how much the other begged to be sent on missions just to avoid sitting in Xander's room.

So a lot of his time when he wasn't busy with whatever Corrin wanted him to do was simply sitting beside Xander's desk and staring at him. The man was fine conversing with him, but he wasn't allowed to do anything else that wasn't that or his duties.

He had gotten so bored that he had slipped up the day before – twice.

The first had been when he had talked about the Brand of the Exalt from Ylisse. It had only been idle curiosity, and he hadn't expected Xander to really think much on it, but the other's sudden interest when Laslow had brought the topic up had unnerved him and he'd done his best to drop it.

The second had been when Xander had warned him that he would find him no matter how far if he ran away, and he had accidentally pointed out that his lord would have trouble due to his name and appearance being false (though he'd pretended he'd been joking afterwards; worth it, even if it increased his grounding – er, house arrest). He'd later realized that Xander, despite dropping the subject, hadn't believed his lie.

It pained him to hide everything from him – despite how Xander was, he knew that he was a good man and would make a great king, and Laslow hated lying to people – but he couldn't tell him; it was too dangerous right now, and if something happened? They'd be better off.

The next day, Xander had talked about his two previous retainers, and it had clicked in Laslow's mind that in his own way, Xander was telling him that he loved him, in the most platonic way that the prince could tell his retainer. It had made him feel warm, that Xander loved him despite believing him to be a mere retainer, a servant. It had made him want to spend even more time with him, despite how much time he had been spending here lately.

Because of that, Laslow decided to throw Xander some breadcrumbs.

"You should get some rest, milord," Laslow suggested gently. The sun had long gone down and the majority of the army was asleep, with only the night watch awake. "I was always told that even a future e- king cannot tend to the needs of the people without first tending to his own needs."

The scratching of Xander's writing utensil stopped, and he turned to look up at Laslow; the mercenary was sitting on one of the chairs, the book that he had been reading closed and on his lap. "Oh? Where did you hear such a statement?"

Well, as long as Xander wasn't continuously working anymore…

"My stepfather, milord," he answered. "He was a very busy man, but he always made sure to take time for what was important to him – his family."

A sigh came from Xander. "Laslow, I appreciate your concern, but we all agreed that the longer we delay the march to there, the more trouble will follow." Laslow opened his mouth to speak but Xander interrupted him. "Regardless, I will take a small break for your peace of mind."

Laslow smiled brilliantly at him, nearly leaping up from the chair. "Thank you!"

"In fact," Xander said, glancing over at his retainer. "Why don't we indulge in one of your favorite pastimes?"

A blink. "My favorite pastimes?"

"Yes, Laslow. Or do you not wish to invite me out for tea like you do with the ladies of the nearby towns?"

Laslow sputtered.

* * *

With the majority of the camp asleep, the Mess Hall was completely empty when the prince and his retainer arrived. Laslow made the two of them some herbal tea and they sat down at one of the tables.

"I'm really glad that you are taking a break, milord." And with luck, the soothing tea would make Xander exhausted enough to go to bed of his own volition. "I knew far too many people that didn't, and in times like these, I personally believe that breaks should be treasured."

Xander shook his head, but a fond smile crossed his face. "How could I not, with you standing there fretting over me?"

Laslow laughed at that, taking a sip of his tea. It was warm and sweet with a hint of fruitiness, just the way that he liked it. And just the way that Xander liked it, too. That knowledge had always made him happy. "How is Lord Siegbert doing?" The redheaded prince was always a delight to be around, and Laslow always felt the need to protect him as much as he wanted to protect Xander.

"Growing everyday," Xander said with a shake of his head. "Yesterday, he sparred with Hinoka, and while he did not win against her, she told me that she was shocked at how strong he had gotten in such a short time."

"Be careful milord, or one day you will find yourself being defeated by Lord Siegbert, too," Laslow quipped, his tone clearly playful.

Xander made a rather unprincely snort that he would never have made had anyone else been in the Mess Hall. "We'll see, Laslow, we'll see. You simply used a style that I had never seen—"

The prince suddenly paused, looking contemplative, and Laslow cocked his head at the sudden silence. "…Milord?"

"Nevermind." Alright then. "But it will be difficult for Siegbert to defeat me in battle unless he adopts techniques that are neither Hoshidan nor Nohrian," Xander replied, and Laslow frowned for a moment before he shrugged.

"Perhaps, but I think he will do well," Laslow mused. "He's a fine boy." Better than him, and hopefully happier than him.

"Now, Laslow." Oh dear, that was the tone that Xander used when he wanted some information from his retainer and didn't want to take 'no' for an answer. "The style you and Selena use for battle, your sword… you said that they are from your homeland?"

He had slipped up. Again. Selena was going to murder him. "Yes, milord." The blade that he had had on him, the Indigo Dancer, had seen him through many, many battles, and it was very much a trusted companion.

Xander was silent for a moment. "Laslow, bear with me for a moment. I understand that you do not like to talk about your homeland. You may be my retainer, but I would never press you for information that you are not comfortable giving me. But, as your friend… I admit that I am curious."

Great. Laslow took a deep breath. How many breadcrumbs should he toss? "There are things that I can't tell you, simply because they aren't mine to tell, but Odin or Selena's. But… I suppose I could answer a few questions, as long as they are not too invasive."

"That's fine," Xander assured him. "I was wondering about your childhood, your family. You mentioned your stepfather, and so I was very curious about your earlier life."

Surely that was harmless enough, there was no way that he could spill too much information. "My mother was a dancer that had me out of wedlock. She met my father, a lord from another land, during a war and the two of them fell in love. Sadly, they had to part by the war's end, and she never saw him again." Wait, these weren't breadcrumbs, this was an entire chunk of bread. He was far too tired and the floodgates had been opened, so he kept going.

"She was already good friends with my stepfather's family before all of this happened. He was a lord in my homeland. When I was born, he helped raise me and cared for me as much as he cared for his own daughter, and sometime after illness took his wife, he married my mother. He and my mother never had a child together, though with my stepsister, her cousin, and our other friends, I was never lonely." Laslow shrugged.

Xander seemed contemplative, almost as if he was trying to piece something together, but whatever the other was thinking, he didn't tell Laslow. "Did he teach you how to wield a sword?"

"Oh yes!" And here, Laslow grinned. "He was one of the best swordsmen that I had ever met. I admired him a lot and was glad to have gotten the chance to know him." The cheerful expression dimmed as he remembered their fates, and he nursed his cup of tea that had started to go cold. "…He's long gone now. Him and my mother." Xander seemed to twitch at that statement, but Laslow was sure he'd imagined it – crown princes didn't twitch, after all!

"My apologies, Laslow," Xander said, reaching over to place his hand on his retainer's. "I didn't mean to stir up unpleasant memories."

Why did Xander sound so sad to Laslow?

Laslow shook his head, looking down at Xander's hand but doing nothing to dislodge it. He could still remember the day that Chrom had been assassinated by a Grima-possessed Robin, the day that his mother Olivia had died, when Lissa had taken up the mantle of Exalt to try to shield Lucina, before she too had fallen… and then it had just been mostly them, a small group of starving, desperate teenagers in a dying, hopeless timeline, that knew they had no chance of killing a Fell Dragon – a god.

He took a shuddering breath, focusing on Xander's hand.

"It's fine, milord. Y- Our country was at war, you see, and every day was a fight for survival. Our parents all died… but my stepsister, her cousin, and most of our friends were still alive by the time that the war ended. We did the only things we could do to stop it, and then picked up the pieces and rebuilt, but Selena, Odin, and I decided that we couldn't stay in one place for too long. Too many memories, and… I wanted to see if I could somehow find my father. So we started traveling, and through a series of events, ultimately ended up in Nohr. After that, well… I am sure that you know what happened."

The topic had accidentally steered into something unpleasant, and he was dangerously close to revealing their timetravel adventure, and Laslow tried to think of something that would revive the mood. But it was Xander that spoke. "I really should be surprised that you are of noble blood, Laslow, but I've noticed that your mannerisms do suggest someone that has grown up in a noble or royal household. Knowing this bit of your history explains this."

It was more than noble blood. It was divine blood. But Laslow didn't mention this. "Happy to help you understand, milord." He quickly downed the rest of his now cold tea. Had he said too much? It didn't look like Xander suspected anything…

"I understand if you do not wish to speak more, but…" And here, Xander trailed off, which was rather unusual for him. Laslow tilted his head. "Do you know if you ever met your father?"

Laslow's eyes widened, and he blushed, suddenly finding his empty cup very interesting. "I did encounter him in my travels, yes."

"What did you think of him?"

The younger man exhaled quietly before a warm, fond smile crossed his face. "He is exactly how mother described him. An amazing man that I admire beyond all other men that I have met in my life. Stern, but kind. Strong, but gentle. He is the kind of man that I would follow to the ends of the world if he desired me to go with him, and the kind of man that deserves nothing but the best in life."

To say that he admired him was putting it mildly.

"I see." Xander glanced down at his own empty cup – were the tips of his ears pink? – and then stood. "…Well, I suppose it is rather late by now, Laslow, and I think that you are correct and that I could do with some rest and relaxation."

Laslow grinned, pleased and relieved at that outcome. "Good. To bed, then milord?" he asked, standing up so that he could take both cups back to the kitchen.

Xander gently pushed Laslow's hands away from his own cup. "Yes, to bed. And let me take care of these take care of these."

"But milord, isn't that improper—?"

"You're fine, Laslow. Sometimes, I believe I work you far too hard."

His cheeks burning, Laslow nodded as Xander took the cups back to the kitchens of the Mess Hall as he stood up and went by the door to wait for him.

Once Xander came back, he nodded to his lord. "Are you ready, milord?"

Xander nodded. "Yes, let's be off."

To the retainer's surprise, Xander wrapped an arm around his shoulders and squeezed him close before beginning to walk. Laslow took advantage of the close contact to subtly lean against Xander, feeling warmth pooling inside of his chest at the gentle touch.

They made it back to their quarters quickly enough, with Laslow walking Xander to his before being released. "Good night, milord," he told Xander.

Xander gazed at him for a moment before brushing his fingers against Laslow's cheek. "Good night, Laslow," he said to him, before heading inside and closing the door.

Laslow decided not to ponder Xander's unusual behavior as he headed back to his own quarters to get some rest himself.

* * *

The next several times Xander had gone to visit Siegbert with Hinoka and/or his siblings, he had unexpectedly asked Laslow to accompany them, and had explained it as him wanting his son to be comfortable around the people that Xander spent time with. Laslow couldn't help but notice that he hadn't invited Peri along, but didn't comment; Peri could be rather difficult to get along with if one didn't know her well enough.

Still, he always appreciated the time that he got to spend with Xander and Siegbert. He could almost pretend that he was home.

Once Siegbert's Deeprealm had been invaded by the Vallites and the younger boy had joined their army for the sheer fact that it was safer for him to stay there than in the Deeprealm, Laslow would find that most of the time, Xander would request that someone follow Siegbert.

"He needs retainers of his own," Xander had sighed one day. "The ones taking care of him in the Deeprealms had been…" He trailed off, and Laslow, without thinking, slipped his hand into his liege's and squeezed it.

Xander didn't push him away though, and instead rubbed his temples. "Laslow, I hate to put even more work on you like this, but could you possibly assist in watching over Siegbert? He seems to be fond of you, and I would feel more comfortable with him in the army and wandering about if he was with someone that I trusted."

"Consider it done, milord," Laslow told him, releasing his hand and giving a bow. "I will look after Lord Siegbert."

He would look after him happily. He really loved that boy.

* * *

The more that Laslow accompanied Siegbert, the more that he could see that this was truly Xander's child. Aside from the bright red hair and a desire to not be weak, he could barely see any of Hinoka. It was almost like serving a second Xander.

"I'm glad that out of all the people that Father has following me around, that you are one of them," Siegbert told him; the redhead had currently gone exploring in one of the nearby forests not too far from the castle in the Astral Realm.

"Oh, is that so?" Laslow was puzzled. "And here I thought that I was causing too much trouble for Lord Xander."

Siegbert gave him an odd look. "Father really likes you, Laslow."

Laslow thought back to their time together. While Xander had always been kind to him, if but firm and stern on occasion, the man had never done anything to intentionally hurt him. And as of late, though Laslow wasn't sure if it was because of the war or if Xander just wanted someone he could be himself around, the other had become very affectionate towards him.

He had definitely noted that Xander seemed to praise him more often, or spend more time with him, or seemed to take his suggestions more seriously. His reactions to Laslow's flirting with women had become less of a genuine irritation and more of a fond exasperation. And occasionally Laslow would feel the comforting squeeze of his shoulder, fingers brushing against his cheek or carding through his hair, or catch a small, but gentle smile on the other's face when Xander thought he wasn't looking.

Once, he had even come back, exhausted, after a particularly long and grueling mission outside of the Astral Realm, and before he could even kneel in respect and then stand to report, Xander had grabbed him and enveloped him into a hug that felt protective, had murmured, "I'm glad you're home," and had allowed him to rest for a few hours before reporting.

Maybe having Siegbert in his life had softened him a little? Whatever the reason, he appreciated it – it made him work even harder.

"I suppose you are right, Lord Siegbert." The redhead smiled back at him, but Laslow could see a hint of a shadow in him. "Is something the matter?"

"…Laslow, both Father and Mother are wonderful people, and I have a huge legacy to live up to," Siegbert said. "You know Father better than just about anybody – better than myself, better than Mother." And Laslow knew that Siegbert left it unsaid that he was nervous speaking to his own aunts and uncle when it came to Xander. "Do you believe that I can do it?"

Daringly, Laslow reached down and placed a hand on Siegbert's shoulder, kneeling down so that he was closer to his level. "Lord Siegbert. I can say with certainty that not only are you your father's son, but that you do him proud everyday and will continue to do so," Laslow said, his voice low and serious. "And at the same time, remember that you are not Lord Xander no matter how much you want to be. You are no more Lord Xander than Lord Leo is. You are Lord Siegbert, and you will become a wonderful man."

Siegbert was quiet for a moment, before the smile on his face became more genuine, and similar to Xander's. "Thank you, Laslow. I can see why Father is fond of you."

Laslow was about to reply when he heard shuffling. He whipped his head around, one hand unsheathing Indigo Dancer as he carefully studied the woods that they were in. Was his mind playing tricks on him…?

A flicker of purple flames and a barely visible figure caught his eye and he swore in Ylissean. "Lord Siegbert, behind me!" The mercenary lashed out, the sword easily swiping through the Vallite soldier appearing as a Hoshidan Samurai.

Moments later, the alarm from Corrin's castle rang, and they knew that they were under attack.

Siegbert, from behind Laslow, stabbed another Vallite that got too close with his Iron Lance. "What- here? Now? What about Father and the others!"

Lord Xander… Laslow took a deep breath. "Come on, Lord Siegbert! We have to return to the Castle!"

They didn't have Siegbert's horse – he had left her behind at the castle as he had not been intending to go too far. Laslow would have to lead the prince back there on foot. After checking to make sure that there were no more immediate threats and that Siegbert was following him, Laslow ran through the woods back towards Corrin's castle. If a group of Vallites had broken off from the main group and had decided to come ambush Laslow and Siegbert, then it would be bad for the two of them.

The path was mostly clear, though they did have to cut a few more down that had decided that they would ambush them. Laslow remained close to the younger boy, but not so close that they would hinder each other; he had far more experience than Siegbert did and he didn't want to risk him getting cut down by the Vallites.

However, he didn't see the Vallite Pegasus Knight aiming for Siegbert until it was almost too late.

"No!" he screamed, darting towards them as Siegbert brought his lance up to block the first swipe. The blow made the red-haired boy stumble back and fall to the ground, the lance breaking into two in the process. Siegbert no longer had a weapon and was defenseless. So Laslow did the only thing that he was able to do that would both protect Siegbert from injury and kill the Vallite.

Without hesitating, he threw himself in between the two, sword slicing through the undead abomination, but the Vallite's naginata had just enough reach to stab him.

Pain shot through Laslow as he stumbled backwards, one hand clutching his damp abdomen which was now coated in a vivid red color, and he vaguely heard the horrified scream from Siegbert. The Vallite's flickering corpse fell to the ground a moment later as Indigo Dancer slid out of its body, and Laslow, knowing that Siegbert was at least safe for the moment, let himself fall to the ground.

"Laslow!" Siegbert screamed, dropping down beside him.

"L-Lord Siegbert," he grunted. "T-Take my sword and run b-back to the castle." Siegbert sat frozen next to him, the boy's own hands pressed against Laslow's wound as if trying desperately to keep him from bleeding out.

"But…"

"If you don't, they will kill you!" Laslow insisted, coughing as he tried to pry Siegbert's bloodstained hands off of him.

Biting his lip, Siegbert grabbed Indigo Dancer and lifted it, turning to stare at the woods. He didn't move, however.

"What… are you doing?" Laslow whispered. "Run!"

"I'm not leaving you," the boy insisted, sword in one hand as he stood in front of Laslow, eyes darting around.

"Lord Siegbert—"

"I am not leaving you. If I leave you and one of them finds you, th-they will kill you for sure."

Stubborn little…! Just like the rest of his family!

Too weak and dizzy to argue with him further, Laslow dropped his head back down and tried to staunch the blood coming from his abdomen, mentally praying to Naga and every other god or goddess he could think of that Siegbert wouldn't fall, that they both wouldn't die here.

The next several minutes that passed were a blur, and Laslow wasn't entirely sure of what was happening. A Vallite or two had appeared that had had to be cut down, but Siegbert was still standing and while he could see that his sword was covered with more blood than before, the boy wasn't injured, which was a small mercy.

Then again, he knew better than anyone that the desperation to protect someone or something could cause someone to tap into strength they didn't know that they had. He wondered if it was because Siegbert cared about him, or whether Siegbert knew how much he meant to Xander.

Another siren rang in the air, and Laslow realized, with some relief, that it was the 'all clear'. No more Vallites could be detected in the Astral Realm. Thank Naga. Siegbert immediately ran back to where Laslow was laying, dropping Indigo Dancer and pressing his hands on the wound again. "Laslow—Laslow, please tell me you are still alive!"

"Ugh…" Laslow groaned, trying not to wince in pain. "I… I can't…"

The sound of footsteps approached them. Siegbert stiffened and leapt up, brandishing Indigo Dancer towards whatever new threat was coming, before the boy faltered and dropped his guard. "Father! Laslow is injured!"

Father… that meant Lord Xander was here. But Laslow no longer had the strength to greet him or even look at him. He heard some unintelligible words exchanged between Siegbert and Xander, of the sound of feet running away, and then was vaguely aware of the figure dropping to his side and gently rolling his head towards him.

"Laslow," the familiar voice of Xander spoke. "Laslow, look at me. I order you to look at me."

"M-Milord…?" Mustering up the last bit of strength, Laslow's eyes flickered towards Xander's face. His breathing was heavy, and he could taste the coppery flavor of his own blood on his tongue. How long had he been lying here? How was he even still alive?

He felt Xander's hand smoothen his hair and Laslow tried not to think about how parental it felt. "Good, Laslow," Xander's voice murmured; Laslow had enough experience to know that despite how calm Xander sounded, the slight tremor gave away that he was afraid. "Stay awake. Siegbert went to find one of the healers."

"So dizzy…" Laslow mumbled.

"I know. You've lost a lot of blood. But you must stay awake. You might never wake up if you don't, and-" Xander cut himself off, and despite how his head was spinning, Laslow again remembered what had happened to his lord's previous two retainers.

"Laslow...if you wish to fritter away your life on nonsense, I cannot stop you. But, please... Stay vigilant. Don't ever make me experience something like that again."

"I'm sorry," Laslow whispered. He just wanted to sleep, but even in the state he was in, he knew that he shouldn't, and he tried to focus on something else – anything else. Xander's hand, the one that was petting his hair, was soothing, and he carefully leaned into it.

It felt like forever before others arrived, but the galloping of a horse and a shocked feminine scream of "Laslow!" was enough for him to identify that it was Elise.

He opened his mouth, to speak her name as she leapt off of her horse and ran towards him, waving her rod, but the loss of blood and the dizziness made him accidentally blurt out, "Aunt Lissa?"

He felt Xander's grip on him falter for a moment and heard Elise's gasp, but before he could see any more of their reactions, his strength left him, and he felt himself sinking into darkness.

Maybe it was for the best that he had never told him.

* * *

When he woke up, Laslow felt like he had been hit with a sledgehammer. He stared blankly up at the ceiling, wondering where he was.

Someone – probably Odin, Laslow assumed - had thoughtfully changed him into a more comfortable outfit for laying in, and he moved to sit up. However, pain shot through his body and he hissed, curling up and squeezing his eyes shut.

"Laslow?"

He opened his eyes back up to find Xander coming across the room towards him. Laslow opened his mouth to say something but Xander placed his hand on his head again, causing him to close it. "You've been asleep for two days. How are you feeling?" he asked as he sat down in the chair beside him.

"I'm fine, milord," Laslow told him, only to wince at both the pain that went through him again and Xander's unamused expression at his response. "…Terrible, really. Lord Siegbert, is he…?"

"Siegbert is fine," Xander told him. "He was merely in shock, not hurt, and explained to me what had happened." With some guilt, Laslow noted the dark circles under Xander's eyes and the exhaustion in his tone. How worried had his lord been?

"My apologies," he murmured, closing his eyes again. "I just couldn't see any other way to make sure that he would be safe."

"I know," Xander said, sitting down on the bed beside him. "That is why I hate this situation so much."

Xander cared deeply for Siegbert – Laslow had always known him as a family man, ironically enough, given how paternal he was to his siblings and to Laslow himself, as well as how much he had struggled to make the decision to fight against his father Garon – but he would have trouble deciding who to sacrifice if he had to sacrifice someone.

It was at that moment that Laslow realized something. "…Milord? Am I in your bed?"

Indeed, the room that he was in was Xander's room, and given the miraculous amount of resources that Corrin had here in the Astral Plane, Xander had fashioned a bed that looked almost identical to the one that he had in his quarters in Nohr. It was extremely comfortable, and Laslow would have felt like he was sleeping on clouds had he not been in pain.

"I decided that the only way to make sure that I would know the moment you were awake, and that you wouldn't wander off unsupervised while injured, was to place you here. The healers allowed me to on the condition that I keep you from moving around too much."

Gingerly, Laslow reached down to touch where he had been stabbed. There were bandages underneath the sleep shirt that he was wearing, but they weren't wet. Elise had to have healed most of the seriousness of the wounds with her Staff, but these types of injuries did take time to heal even with magic.

Xander stroked Laslow's cheek with his thumb, as if debating what he was going to say next. "…I was very worried about you," the man confessed. "I felt as if the world had dropped out under me when I saw you laying there, horribly injured and barely responsive."

"My apologies," Laslow whispered again, still unused to this stark openness from Xander.

"I thought you were going to die," Xander murmured, not removing his hand from Laslow's head. "I thought that, like my mother, my other siblings, my retainers, that I was going to lose my dear friend and son, too. I am not sure I would have had the strength to go on for a long time if I'd lost you, Inigo."

Laslow froze, a million questions running through his head, before he blurted out, "How long have you known?"

"I've suspected since you started talking about your family," Xander admitted. "For someone that gave barely any information, it was enough for me to put it together. The more time I spent with you, the more I was convinced about it. But it wasn't until you called out Lissa's name that I confronted Odin –Owain – and Selena while you were unconscious. They confirmed my suspicions. They told me you were Inigo."

"Naga damn it," he muttered. He felt incredibly foolish now, and then thought back to around then. Now that he thought about it, Xander had started becoming more affectionate than usual right then. "I wanted to tell you myself but…" He had been too shy.

"It's fine," Xander said. "I understand. You did not know that I had pieced it together, and you were concerned that it would damage our relationship."

"Y-Yes, that was it," Laslow said, gazing down at Xander's hand as he was having trouble meeting his eyes. "I was content with remaining master and servant if it meant I could stay with you and get to know you."

Xander's expression suddenly went melancholy and he didn't speak for a long time, and for a moment Laslow wondered what he was thinking. "Milord?"

A wince crossed the Nohrian prince's face. "My apologies, I am still trying to comprehend this situation."

"Which part of it?"

"The fact that my son was my servant for years, and I've treated him like one." Xander grimaced, and Laslow had the decency to look apologetic.

"I wasn't sure what else to do. I had to come to Nohr, and I learned quickly that Nohr valued fighting prowess. And then your father announced the tournament to become yours, Lord Leo's, and Lady Camilla's retainers, so we entered, and you know the rest of the story." Garon by then was under Anankos's influence, but not completely, which was probably the only reason the three of them had had so little trouble in Nohr despite being both foreign and noticed by royalty. Laslow also half-suspected that the part of Garon that was under Anankos's control wanted to keep an eye on them, too, given their history with the old mad dragon. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, and Laslow wasn't sure which bit had applied at the time. Anankos wasn't completely mad, after all.

"…How and why did you arrive in Nohr? I know that Ylisse is completely different world."

"It's a very long story, milord," Laslow said, noticing Xander wince again at the last word. "I can't say all of it… but my friends and I were given the opportunity to travel to this world. However, only three of us would be able go. I was one of the ones that came because I knew it would be my one chance to finally meet you, and the others didn't have the heart to tell me 'no'. And Odin – who had always wanted to see Lord Leo and Niles again – and Selena – who always preferred to travel – were the others."

He drew a pattern on the bed with his finger. "I never dreamed that when I finally did meet you, you would be so young, that even though I knew that you were my father, you weren't my father yet. I couldn't tell you that." He then smiled. "But I could see the man that my mother and the others had described even then. Even if you hadn't warmed up to me, I just wanted to be with you."

Ah, Xander's ears had turned pink again; the man had to be embarrassed; Laslow was starting to suspect that he had gotten his shyness from Xander and not Olivia, despite initial thoughts. Xander cleared his throat before speaking again. "When Father assigned you as my retainer, I remember how starstruck you looked. You seemed so happy, that I didn't have the heart to reject you despite how much I did not want a new retainer. At first I thought it was simply because you had wormed your way into serving the crown prince, but I learned that was not the case."

Oh, Laslow remembered that. He had been so excited to have finally met Xander that he had acted like a lovestruck idiot, which had embarrassed him so much that he was relieved that Xander hadn't thrown him out then and there. He blushed harder, shyly turning his eyes away from Xander's face. Xander chuckled at the expression and ruffled Laslow's hair before his face became serious again.

"What would you prefer I call you? Inigo or Laslow?"

"Either one is fine," Laslow said. "Inigo was the name that you and Mother gave me, but I've been Laslow for so long that it feels like my own, milord." Xander grimaced.

"Stop calling me 'milord' when in private. I'm… not comfortable hearing that from your mouth now that we both are aware of the truth," he told him. "Officially, you are still my retainer, yes, but I would much prefer it if you could be my son, too. I would love to re-introduce you to Camilla, Corrin, Leo, Elise, Hinoka, and Siegbert at some point."

Laslow blinked, and he could feel the tears gathering at the corner of his eyes. Xander did want to claim him. He wasn't a total disappointment. "I would not mind at all, mi- Father," he hastily amended. "Do they know that you…" He wasn't sure how to word it. "Did they know that you and my mother…"

"They did," Xander confirmed. "I had also told them that 'Inigo' had somehow found his way to Nohr and had joined the Nohrian army, but that we were both keeping it quiet for the time being and would appreciate if they did too. They likely thought that 'Inigo' was one of the common soldiers, not that it was you. I had to answer some of Elise's questions when you called her by Lissa's name, but she agreed to keep quiet."

A thought came to him, and Laslow made a face. "…Is Lady Camilla going to crush me against her and insist that I call her 'Auntie Camilla' instead?"

"Most likely, yes," Xander said, amused. "You know how she can be."

"Naga save me," Laslow muttered, causing Xander to laugh. "Can we at least wait to tell them until I can walk again?"

"I had planned on it," Xander assured him, reaching down to ruffle his hair.

Laslow sank back into the bed at the touch, closing his eyes again. He had always been physically affectionate despite Olivia not being as much, and now he was starting to suspect it had come from Xander given how often the man kept touching him or hugging him.

"Did you know," he suddenly started, "that my hair is actually blond, like yours? I ended up looking a lot like a delicate version of you."

"I knew that you weren't joking about your false appearance," Xander sighed. "Did you get mine or Olivia's eyes?"

Laslow shook his head. "Neither. Mine are somewhere in between – purple. They look a lot like Lady Camilla and Lady Elise's eyes, actually."

Xander studied him for a moment, as if imagining how Laslow would look with blond hair and purple eyes. "…Would you be able to remove your false appearance somehow?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure how. I wasn't the one that cast the spell on my appearance, and I was supposed to wear this appearance for as long as I was in this world. Possibly when the caster dies, I can change mine back – if he doesn't get a chance to remove it." Laslow sounded like he was musing more than actually telling Xander. "Between me, Odin, and Selena, I look the least like myself. Selena has more of an orange-red. Odin's hair is more of a pale blond than the color he has now. And they kept their eye colors – but since I looked so much like you and we knew that questions would be asked, he changed mine dramatically."

"The caster knew we were related?" Xander pondered this information. "Just who cast this spell on you?"

"…I can't tell you that, mi- Father." Laslow was firm with his convictions. "I just can't. Not yet. But I promise – I will tell you as soon as I am able to."

Xander was frustrated, he could tell, but Laslow couldn't do anything about that. With a sigh, the man watched as Laslow's eyes started to droop, and allowed him to lay back down in a more comfortable position on the bed.

"Get some rest, Inigo. I'll be around if you need anything." Xander leaned down and carefully wrapped his arms around Laslow so that he didn't jostle the other's injury. Laslow took a deep breath and gripped Xander's shoulder – the best he could do without overly straining himself. This was their first time hugging with both of them knowing that the other knew their relationship. Xander combed his fingers through Laslow's hair briefly before releasing him. "We can talk more later."

Giving a hum of acknowledgement, Laslow burrowed into the sheets, feeling the bed shift when Xander got to his feet. He had almost died, and he was sure that if he tried to get out of bed, Xander would tie him down.

But he didn't feel like getting up. He wanted to stay right where he was.

* * *

_Parents: Inigo/Laslow's father should be obvious. Siegbert's mother is Hinoka. Lucina's mother is the Village Maiden. Severa/Selena's father is Gregor. Odin/Owain's father is Robin._

_Xander/Olivia: See FE Warriors, Xander and Olivia's Support._

_Indigo Dancer: Pulled from my first playthrough of Revelation; it's a Silver Sword +3 that I gave to Laslow. My Laslow was really overpowered in Revelation._

_Stepfather Chrom: Chrom!Inigo is still my favorite Inigo, but as I couldn't do that, and because the Village Maiden really isn't a true character, I made Chrom his stepfather. Besides, I feel Chrom would be the sort to make sure that Inigo did know the title that he technically carried even if it meant little beyond him being Chrom's stepson. There is also potential plot to be had with the general populace thinking that Inigo is a Brandless child of Chrom's, too._

_Am I going to write more for this fandom and/or this AU? I have absolutely no idea, but I sure hope so._


End file.
